English as a Contact Language
English as a Contact Language
Recent developments in contact linguistics suggest considerable overlap of branches such as historical linguistics, variationist sociolinguistics, pidgin/creole linguistics, language acquisition, etc. This book highlights the complexity of contact-induced language change throughout the history of English by bringing together cutting-edge research from these fields. Special focus is on recent debates surrounding substratal influence in earlier forms of English (particularly Celtic influence in Old English), on language shift processes (the formation of Irish and overseas varieties) but also on dialects in contact, the contact origins of Standard English, the notion of new epicentres in World English, the role of children and adults in language change as well as transfer and language learning. With contributions from leading experts, the book offers fresh and exciting perspectives for research and is at the same time an up-to-date overview of the state of the art in the respective fields.
- Takes a broad multidisciplinary approach, meaning readers can benefit from the insights of leading experts in diverse fields
- Combines historical English linguistics with cutting-edge research and therefore offers readers new perspectives in research, while also giving an up-to-date overview of the fields
- Includes contributions from a team of the world's most prominent scholars in the fields of language contact and English linguistics
Reviews & endorsements
'This multifaceted volume demonstrates the important role of language contact and dialect contact in the development of English and its many current varieties, providing new insights into questions of who were the agents of change and what were the processes involved. The list of authors of the eighteen chapters reads like a who's who in contact linguistics and the history of English. Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in these areas.' Jeff Siegel, University of New England, Australia
'The volume is highly recommended reading for beginning and experienced scholars in (English) contact linguistics, English variational linguistics, language typology, and beyond.' Helen Aristar-Dry, The Linguist List (linguistlist.org)
Product details
January 2013Hardback
9781107001961
406 pages
229 × 152 × 24 mm
0.71kg
23 b/w illus. 6 maps 31 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction: nothing but a contact language … Marianne Hundt and Daniel Schreier
- 2. The role of contact in English syntactic change in the Old and Middle English periods Olga Fischer
- 3. Multilingualism and code-switching as mechanisms of contact-induced lexical change in late Middle English Herbert Schendl
- 4. The contact origins of Standard English Laura Wright
- 5. English as a contact language in the British Isles Juhani Klemola
- 6. English as a contact language in Ireland and Scotland Raymond Hickey
- 7. The contact dynamics of socioethnic varieties in North America Walt Wolfram
- 8. English as a contact language: the 'New Englishes' Edgar W. Schneider
- 9. English as a contact language: lesser-known varieties Daniel Schreier
- 10. The role of mundane mobility and contact in dialect death and dialect birth David Britain
- 11. The diversification of English: old, new and emerging epicenters Marianne Hundt
- 12. Driving forces in English contact linguistics Salikoko S. Mufwene
- 13. Substrate influence and universals in the emergence of contact Englishes: reevaluating the evidence Donald Winford
- 14. Transfer and contact in migrant and multiethnic communities: the conversational historical be + -ing present in South African Indian English Rajend Mesthrie
- 15. English as a contact language: the role of children and adolescents Paul Kerswill, Jenny Cheshire, Sue Fox and Eivind Torgersen
- 16. Innovation and contact: the role of adults (and children) Sarah G. Thomason
- 17. Accelerator or inhibitor? On the role of substrate influence in interlanguage development Terence Odlin
- 18. Speculating on the future of English as a contact language Christian Mair.
